Preventing loss of virtual machine network profiles

Abstract

A network management system deploys a network profile for a virtual machine to a physical switch after a restart of the physical switch when the virtual machine is downstream of the physical switch and the network profile for the virtual machine has been cached but not saved at the physical switch.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for a network management system to prevent a loss of a network profile for a virtual machine in a network including the network management system, the virtual machine, and a physical switch, the method comprising:
 detecting and recording, by the network management system, a relationship between the physical switch and the virtual machine when the virtual machine is hosted by a physical host downstream from the physical switch and the network profile for the virtual machine is cached but not saved at the physical switch; 
 after a restart of the physical switch, deploying, from the network management system to the physical switch, the network profile for the virtual machine hosted by the physical host downstream from the physical switch when the recorded relationship stored at the network management system indicates that the network profile has not been saved at the physical switch; 
 after a predefined time, causing, by the network management system, the physical switch to save the network profile for the virtual machine when the recorded relationship indicates that the network profile has not been saved at the physical switch; and 
 after the physical switch has saved the network profile for the virtual machine, deleting the recorded relationship. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting and recording the relationship formed between the physical switch and the virtual machine includes:
 establishing a global variable at the network management system; and 
 after detecting a change in location of the virtual machine, recording the relationship in the global variable. 
 
     
     
       3. A network management system to prevent a loss of a network profile for a virtual machine in a network including the network management system, the virtual machine, and a physical switch, comprising:
 a hardware processor; and 
 a memory storing instructions that when executed by the hardware processor cause the hardware processor to:
 detect a location change in the virtual machine; record a relationship between the physical switch and the virtual machine when the virtual machine is downstream from the physical switch and the network profile for the virtual machine is cached but not saved at the physical switch; 
 deploy the network profile to the physical switch in response to a notification that the physical switch has not saved the network profile for the virtual machine; 
 periodically instruct the physical switch to save the network profile for the virtual machine based on the recorded relationship; and 
 delete the recorded relationship after the physical switch has saved the new profile for the virtual machine. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The network management system of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions are to cause the hardware processor to sense a status change of the virtual machine, update a relationship table at the network management system with the relationship between the physical switch and the virtual machine, and deploy the network profile for the virtual machine to the physical switch. 
     
     
       5. The network management system of  claim 4 , wherein the status change in the virtual machine is a migration of the virtual machine, and the instructions are to cause the hardware processor to delete an old relationship between another physical switch and the virtual machine. 
     
     
       6. The network management system of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions are to cause the hardware processor to, after a restart of the physical switch, deploy the network profile for the virtual machine to the physical switch when the recorded relationship indicates that the network profile has not been saved at the physical switch. 
     
     
       7. The network management system of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions are to cause the hardware processor to, when the virtual machine is a newly added virtual machine or a migrating virtual machine, deploy the network profile for the virtual machine to the physical switch in response to a notification of the recorded relationship. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 setting, by the physical switch, traffic bandwidth, network security, or traffic mirroring based on the network profile for the virtual machine. 
 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a processor to:
 detect and record, by a network management system, a relationship between a physical switch and a virtual machine when the virtual machine is hosted by a physical host downstream from the physical switch and a network profile for the virtual machine is cached but not saved at the physical switch; 
 after a restart of the physical switch, deploy, from the network management system to the physical switch, the network profile for the virtual machine hosted by the physical host downstream from the physical switch when the recorded relationship stored at the network management system indicates that the network profile has not been saved at the physical switch; 
 after a predefined time, cause, by the network management system, the physical switch to save the network profile for the virtual machine when the recorded relationship indicates that the network profile has not been saved at the physical switch; and 
 after the physical switch has saved the network profile for the virtual machine, delete, by the network management system, the recorded relationship. 
 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions that cause the processor to detect and record the relationship formed between the physical switch and the virtual machine further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
 establish a global variable at the network management system; and 
 after detecting a change in location of the virtual machine, record the relationship in the global variable. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
 set, by the physical switch, traffic bandwidth, network security, or traffic mirroring based on the network profile for the virtual machine. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
 when the virtual machine is a newly added virtual machine or a migrating virtual machine, deploy the network profile for the virtual machine to the physical switch in response to a notification of the recorded relationship. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
 sense a status change of the virtual machine; 
 update a relationship table at the network management system with the relationship between the physical switch and the virtual machine; and 
 deploy the network profile for the virtual machine to the physical switch.